The Wages Of Denialism

by Patrick Appel

Will at Ordinary Gentleman makes a solid point on behalf of cap and trade opponents:

Straightforward denialism allows those who favor aggressive emissions controls to shape the public’s perception of climate science. Instead of sober cost-benefit analysis, people who basically accept the existence of global warming (read: most of the voting public) are now more likely to think that climate change is catastrophic rather than incremental. The longer the right’s response to anthropogenic warming is dominated by the likes of Inhofe and Santorum, the longer this perception will linger, which doesn’t bode well for efforts to stop monstrously expensive cap-and-trade legislation.

So She Tweeted It

by Conor Friedersdorf

The big story today: a mother whose two year old son drowned in their backyard pool. It is making national headlines because the woman Tweeted about the incident.

"Fog is rolling in thick scared the birds back in the coop," Ross tweeted at 5:22 p.m. on Monday.

At 5:23 p.m., her son called 911 to report that his brother, 2-year-old Bryson, was floating unconscious in the pool. Records show that the Brevard County Fire-Rescue paramedics arrived at Ross' Mirrett Island, Fla., home at 5:38 p.m.

And 34 minutes later, at 6:12 p.m., Ross tweeted again. "Please pray like never before, my 2 yr old fell in the pool."

Nearly five hours later, after her son had been pronounced dead, Ross tweeted again.

"Remembering my million dollar baby," she wrote. Ross included a photo of Bryson in the post, time-stamped at 11:08 p.m. A few minutes later, she posted another photo of her son.

May that little boy rest in peace, and I hope the family muddles through as best they can. Like many of you, I am surprised at how the mother behaved during this ordeal. I've never faced a tragedy as grave, so I suppose I can't know for sure, but I can't even imagine I'd Tweet it — and I don't mean that to imply that I am judging the woman for having done so, because I'm mostly posting this to wonder at the vitriol being directed against her in the comments section of the story.

Isn't this just the latest example of people becoming insanely judgmental about a fellow citizen merely because she conceives of technology differently? It is unimaginable to me that people would react this way if Ms. Ross shouted over the back fence in the middle of the crisis to ask all in earshot to pray, and five hours later, still in shock, mechanically composed a letter to friends lamenting her loss.

But doing what amounts to the same thing on Twitter? It provokes vitriol that I find every bit as inexplicable as I do the Tweeting of a child's death. In this moment of utmost gravity, you're criticizing her approach to social media? "This woman is a perfect example of where humanity is heading as it becomes more enslaved by technology," one commenter said. In fact, the callousness strangers direct via Internet at a grieving mother is a far more dire harbinger of where we're headed.

Mistress Of Disguise

by Chris Bodenner

Mudflats imagines a scene between two photographers trying to find Palin while she vacationed with her family in Hawaii:

Who IS that?

You mean over there with Todd Palin and Piper and Trig?

Yeah, that mystery woman in the sunglasses…

Do you think that’s Sarah?

(squinting) Not sure… Let me get my other lens.

Yeah…I think it might be.  She’s supposed to be in Hawaii with her family.

But we have to be sure!

Does it say anything on her visor?

I can’t make it out…  Looks like she’s scribbled something out.

Dang.  If we could only verify.  I HATE when celebrities go incognito.

The view from Pakistan, cont.

by Andrew Sprung

Tariq Fatemi, a Pakistani career diplomat and close associate of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who briefly served as Pakistan's Ambassador the U.S., was not reassured by Obama's speech at West Point. In his weekly column in Dawn he voices a spectrum of anxieties and grievances that bedevil the Pakistani end of the Pakistani-U.S. relationship.

First, that Pakistan will be the U.S. scapegoat:

But [Obama] having made this commitment [of additional troops], what measures can one expect from the administration to eliminate Al Qaida and weaken the Taliban? Undoubtedly, it will be Pakistan where henceforth the ‘buck stops,’ and which will be held responsible for America’s failure in Afghanistan.

Then, that Pakistan will alienate historic allies in Afghanistan — while India encroaches unchecked by the U.S.:

But if the Americans are supposed to start withdrawing their troops in less than two years, would Pakistan not be justified in hedging its bets? After all, if we are to live next to a Taliban-dominated Afghanistan, why annoy them? Even more worrying is the absence of evidence of US willingness to use its influence to bring India back to the negotiating table, or even of asking it to end its alleged interference in Fata and Balochistan.

And again, that India will outflank Pakistan in its relationship with the U.S. — and in its influence in Afghanistan:

Within a fortnight, New Delhi has notched up two major diplomatic successes. Last month, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the first state guest of the Obama administration, where he was able to get a reaffirmation of the US-India ‘global strategic partnership.’ Though he could not obtain an irrevocable commitment regarding the provision of advanced enrichment and reprocessing technologies, he did achieve success on the issue of counterterrorism.

The two countries expressed their ‘grave concern’ over the continuing terrorist threat ‘emanating from India’s neighbourhood,’ while agreeing that ‘resolute and credible steps be taken to eliminate safe havens and sanctuaries that provide shelter to terrorists and their activities.’

Also surprising was US appreciation for India’s role in Afghanistan. This, after Pakistan’s claim that the administration had been asked to use its influence to urge India to reduce its presence in Afghanistan.

The image accompanying Fatemi's piece:  Obama toasting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The caption: "What was surprising was US appreciation for India’s role in Afghanistan. This, after Pakistan’s claim that the administration had been asked to use its influence to urge India to reduce its presence in Afghanistan."

Politics In The Real World

by Patrick Appel

Megan tells it like it is:

Ultimately, the moderates had a very good alternative to negotiated agreement, and the progressives didn't, and that was crystal clear from Day 1.  That meant the progressives were never, ever going to get very much.  This was not a failure of political will or political skill.  It was the manifestation of a political reality that has long been obvious to everyone who wasn't living in a fantasy world.  If progressives decide that the lesson from this is that they haven't been sufficiently demanding and intransigent, they are going to find themselves about as popular with the rest of America as the Bush Republicans, and probably lose their party the House next year.

Depressing Christmas Songs, Ctd

by Chris Bodenner

A reader writes:

The most depressing Christmas song I have ever heard, the one that makes me cry, consistently, every time, is "Wintersong," by Sarah McLachlan.  Sarah was the soundtrack of my high school years and I associate her voice with all the pain and angst of adolescence.  When she released a Christmas album in 2006, at the same time as I was breaking up with a wonderful man (who I am still not over), a perfect storm of depression came together.  Even without that background, I think anyone would agree that this is a seriously depressing Christmas song.

Lyrics after the jump:

The lake is frozen over
The trees are white with snow
And all around
Reminders of you
Are everywhere I go

It's late and morning's in no hurry
But sleep won't set me free
I lie awake and try to recall
How your body felt beside me
When silence gets too hard to handle
And the night too long

And this is how I see you
In the snow on Christmas morning
Love and happiness surround you
As you throw your arms up to the sky
I keep this moment by and by

Oh I miss you now, my love
Merry Christmas, merry Christmas,
Merry Christmas, my love

Sense of joy fills the air
And I daydream and I stare
Up at the tree and I see
Your star up there

And this is how I see you
In the snow on Christmas morning
Love and happiness surround you
As you throw your arms up to the sky
I keep this moment by and by

“Any form of security is vital.”

by Patrick Appel

Josh Marshall gets an e-mail:

If I feel abandoned, it's not by Obama and the Democratic party, it's by those on the left advocating to kill the bill.

I am unemployed and have a pre-existing condition that requires daily medicines, quarterly doctors visits and an annual test. I am on COBRA, which runs out mid-2010, when I will have to find new health insurance. I will need to purchase some kind of health insurance, assuming I can find provider who will insure me

I don't pretend to understand all the intricacies of the health care reform bill, but I do read a lot. From what I can glean, if the bill passed, I would be able to find health insurance because I could not to be turned down due to my pre-exisiting condition. And based on my income at the moment, my premuims would be subsidized.